What Is Dyslexia? | Dyslexia Explained

As Dr. Gillis says, children with dyslexia are just as smart as other children.
What is dyslexia like for kids? Our reading expert, Margie Gillis, EdD, explains what dyslexia is, dyslexia symptoms, common dyslexia teaching strategies, and dyslexia treatment exercises.
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[@bovineaviation2771]

I have dyslexia and got put down a year in school because of it. But my parents made me go to a weekly tutor for 5 years and now I'm top of my class in most subjects. Thanks to everyone who helped.

[@thatsdaniellelol]

I so sorry that happened to you. I’m really glad you’ve come out so strong!

[@drewking07]

I have it to and I just red what you wrote and I forgot all of it

[@Bharat22158]

@@thatsdaniellelol happened to me I too have mild dyslexia but even tuitions could not help me improve in maths so when it got removed after I submitted my medical concession I did above average in 10th and I took humanities as my subject the struggle was hard because economics too had maths but that got removed and this time I did very good in 12th boards and no regrets I am 2nd year student now at a media school

[@Bharat22158]

I am mildly dyslexic struggled with maths and spellings for me it was sometimes I would try my best to make other understand what I am trying to say in simplest way possible but others won't there comes a certain time when I am unable to string my words together in writing

[@arjunratnadev]

as far as the information I've gathered mild dyslexia exists as a co-morbidity due to extensive untreated damage done by adhd, feels sad but I have to keep on moving

[@suegz139]

My son was diagnosed with Severe Dyslexia when he was in Grade 3, but had a high IQ. He was lucky to be at a school with a dyslexia center, they put him in a program to help with the language (I attended as well and learned with him to be able to help him at home). Also took him to a private dyslexia math teacher. After 2 terms in the summer he managed to read his 1st Hurry Potter book, and fiction books became his friend. After less than 2 years he had to move schools, I never mentioned it to his new school and by end of 1st term when I told his teacher she wouldn't believe it due to his high achievement in maths and English (with exceptional vocabulary). This April he graduated from a top Canadian University in Mechanical engineering with minor in physics. Keep an eye on your kids and observe as they develop, never believe that their luck of achievement is their norm (I was told by the Head teacher I had unrealistic expectations), every child has a strength, don't give up on yours ...

[@kinko4786]

Good that you stood up for your son. It can be really hard with Dyslexia. You can also get lower self-esteem from it. Mostly before you get diagnosed. So that's good that you help your son. Never think someone can't do something. Think that anybody can do whatever they want in life that just has to fight for it and not give up. I also have Dyslexia but mine is not that severe. I think your son is very thankful to you Sue.

[@Pomeroy09]

I am 68 and was diagnosed as a dyslexia when I was 16. My reading was tested at third grade fifth month.Went to a special boarding school because there was only two country dealing with. Five years later I signed up for my first college course. It is critical that parents read to their children. This gives us a foundation to build on. I do not think fondly of school!

[@kinko4786]

It's hard man. I am now 16 and have dyslexia. Not so strong dyslexia tho. School can be a real pain sometimes but I try to think positively. The school system in Sweden is helping a lot tho. I like it because of that.

[@maryamshehzadi9363]

Which two countries are dealing with? Mention it plz

[@kinko4786]

3:10 I love that quote. Love from someone with Dyslexia.

[@richard87b]

i have dyslexia and im 11 years old and it is really hard. its diffucult because most dont understand or if they think i am less intellegent than everybody else. that is not true tho because i love subjects people would think are to tricky for me. my parents help alot but they dont understand what it is like. i am getting better and better at things now but its a scar that willlast forever! :)

[@meganmccarthy902]

Something that helped me (a dyslexic) was that I sat under the "phonics wall" in 1st grade. All the phonics where printed out next to a picture that used it in a word. For example the one that said Ph had a phone next to it and so on. I think a matching game of some sort could help a lot for a child. Just looking at them helped me. I still to this day cannot sound out words but, I do indeed know all of the phonics. Also it can be very frustrating to have or to have dyslexia and it is really upsetting to feel so far behind but eventually you will get better. It took me 10 years to read a book in a reasonable amount of time. For people trying to teach a dyslexic when they say the can't they honestly can't one of the hardest things for them is that they are being asked to do something that is actually impossible, be kind and very patient. I was lucky to get help for my dyslexia but, it didn't come easy. My parents had to fight every school to get me the help I needed. Don't be afraid to contact a super attendant to get the help you or your child need's, their/ your future actually depends on it.

[@UnderstoodOrg]

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us Megan McCarthy.

[@leeyoung6196]

Thank you,,this has helped with this explanation

[@Sibulè55]

I have a project in it Thanks for help!

[@carolyncowen3898]

BRAVO! This is a spectacular little video with a clear, concise, and engaging explanation of dyslexia. (And that ain't easy!) I recommend this as a starting point for parents, educators, and policymakers. Excellent work, Margie and Understood!

[@nelsonlauver]

love, Love, LOVE this!

[@devilpig6]

Thanks this helped a lot with understanding this issue more my son has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia and its hard not knowing the proper care of my children when I'm a single dad . Glad I'm starting to understand all this stuff ! luv ya

[@devilpig6]

This was not me... My daughter thought it would be funny to extend a teasing of my son to the internet with my screen name... He isn't even dyslexic... I apologize on her ridiculous behalf...

[@NRGAiden-rb7xm]

If u have dislexy as a kid doesn’t mean you can’t get a good job. Mostly rich people are dislexy you just need to find a good way for you even it takes years

[@Bharat22158]

In my case I was diagnosed with ADHD Asperger's syndrome mild dyslexia and SLD for me I would answer orally everything well would also be able to do all the non academic stuff. But when it came to writing I found difficult remembering things related to academics maths was definitely a problem for me also stringing my words together in writing also is still my problem.

[@muzammil_pathan20]

Same

[@alexs116]

Thank you for taking the time to figure this out

[@originalgoldengoddess]

Hmmm... I sometimes have issues reading numbers... thats why I have to stare at them for a while sometimes to read it properly. It's something that I've always been embarrassed about as a kid and I didn't like to tell my teachers about. I just tell them I'm not good at maths instead of trying to explain about now reading numbers the right way sometimes.

[@pacholi6413]

I learned so much! THanks

[@mkmgramirez]

Thank you so much. I suspect that my son has dyslexia because he struggles with rhyming, blending and various other language strategies. Although he started at D level at the beginning of 1st grade, he has not progressed. I have a meeting with his teacher and reading instructor and hopefully, we can see what the casual is.

[@kinko4786]

So did it go well?

[@neurodiversitystories5128]

Thank you so much for sharing

[@novellaforever7706]

I couldn’t read until I was eight I’m nine now about to turn 10 and we’re trying to find out if I have dLexia Or not

[@rayluxejosephine8548]

I Could not leave till I was eight I am homeschooled right when my mom took me out of school it got so much easier.

[@pamjarvis2771]

While I have Dyslexia all my life that affects me more in speaking, writing and my thought process than my reading now , I have love of reading despite my Dyslexia struggles. As a child , I would constantly asked for help and to understand words written in books that drove my parents crazy. I would tell them how would I learned the right way if I did not asked for help for which they had no rebuttal answer to. I was tested in fifth grade at elementary school on my reading level age and it was between 35 to 40 year old adult level. My asking many questions and asking to understand words in books had actually helped me be more fluent in reading books. I was so bored and uninterested in children books that my teachers had allowed me to choose from high school level books such as Moby Dick , War and Peace and etc.... that led to me getting As and Bs in my book reports. To this day when I will read books , I will still ask for help if I have issue with words. My beloved husband is very willing with patience to help me when I asked questions to him. Same with our son who does understand me since he has learning disabilities other than Dyslexia as well.

[@kinko4786]

@@pamjarvis2771 Never gives up on your goals. That is what I hear about this text.

[@btbon60fps]

Thank you for telling me this I’m pretty sure that I have it because I’m so good at math but I’m not that good at reading but for some reason I like writing.

[@UnderstoodOrg]

Thanks for your comment Lemon BTBOn60FPS. If there are any resources you may be looking for or questions you may have, let us know. We'd be happy to help.

[@NRGAiden-rb7xm]

Same with me I’m very good at maths

[@courtlands100]

Thank you 👌

[@steverocksyo]

I've taken French for years but I can't understand it spoken. I watch TV, movies, use apps. If your first language is remotely like that with dyslexia then I feel for you. That's tough

[@rayluxejosephine8548]

I understand how you feel my mom knows so French so I find it a little bit easier. But Latin is hard I have been struggling with it and this is my 3rd year I started in sixth grade .

[@soaringeagleshomeschoolgro5025]

I teach Orton Gillingham to dyslexics on you tube because we shouldn't have to be rich to have the training we need to learn to read fluently.

[@suesasko6960]

You can also play iliteration games...let's think of words that start with the /sh/ sound. You can say 3 sounds and have your child blend them into a word....what word says /b/ /i/ /t/. You can count syllables by counting how many times your jaw drops when you say a word. Help older children learn and study spelling words by syllables. Teach graphemes and the various representations of each phoneme. Teach syllable types and syllable division rules.

[@OmarOmar-wo4yz]

Sue Sasko thank you

[@strugglling..2244]

I cannot concentrate on study ,, because i had Dyslexia ,,and cannot because of headache issue ,,how to overcome it ,,i understand life is tough ,,but i had to overcome it by curiosity in science and maths ,,but i am having difficulty understanding maths ,,but i find maths interesting because it's linked to Universe ,, ,,but i feel erritating because I am Taking medicine from five years and changed doctor many times i cannot explain i visited many places ,,from 7 class ,,now in 12 class ,,i am 17 years old ,,i am having difficulty understanding books ,,or reading story books or biography ,,but i want to become i really interested ,,but cannot why ,,in childhood when i was born up ,,i reverse shoes lase tie or i almost reverse write in past ,,or i wrote whole word reverese ,,now i wrote good ,,but i had difficulty concentrating ,,

[@Kaikrad56]

I think I have dyslexia but I know no one gonna believe it And it took me minutes to write this.

[@sherrypolleyauthentic172]

Ok but what is dyslexia as far as what are the symptoms? Is it where you see letters jumbled up and disorganized? Or is that a misconception? I have never been able to cope with reading. But I don’t see my letters mixing up.

[@UnderstoodOrg]

Thanks for your question Sherry Polley Authentic. Signs of dyslexia can look different at different ages. You can read more about it here: u.org/35CgKor We hope this helps.

[@horrormovielover6725]

Im suspecting I might have a dyslexia. But not sure. When I was younger,Im good in reading but there are difficulties. Sometimes I read new words wrong or read it right but spell it wrong although Im looking right at it. 2nd, I have difficulty recognizing the difference bet SH and CH sounds..I could hardly pronounce CH and someone just pointed it out to me. I know they're different but I used to pronounce CH as SH. I used to spell against as *againts* something like that. I dont think Im that dumb because I can recognize my difficulty,not many people noticed it 'cause Im not behind in my class and have tried hard to learn things on my own. I have poor grammar too. Though I know how to use the words,sometimes I spell it wrong like They're as their,read as reed etc. I feel dumb so I always read back what Ive written just to make sure I spell words,grammar right.(Sometimes I miss out some things). Numbers also confuse me.

[@awesomeblossom1]

I havnt noticed anything "wrong" with my 3yo and he just started counting. We got him some numbers, and he counted to 9 on his own, except it is backwards, and most of the numbers are backwards too. So counted from 9- 1 and the numbers were facing the wrong way. (So the 3 looked like an E.) Im trying to figure out if this is dyslexia but im having trouble finding the answer.

[@Muttonchop_USA]

How did this wind up in my stream? Oh, my dog!

[@shardella1]

😂

[@anti-school6771]

💀I came here to learn about dyslexia but instead i learned i am just lazy af

[@Maykay1312]

I might have this but idn, well if i try to trow stuff at the the target i am not hiting taht thing at all mby if i have luck

[@Gabby-fr8ke]

Xpert_Destroyer 4 what is idn?

[@Moppemannen_mattias]

@@Gabby-fr8ke I don’t now

[@DheersDen]

Speechify enters the chat

[@amelinsenovlogs]

my nephew has dyslexia searching education for him

[@pottysmith5025]

I was that big word...! but now at 57 me not thik ! but I had to try Heardr than you !..

[@JamesTJoseph]

Asked me to read Bible at church, it was a disaster. 😂

[@elsewherehouse]

Is it possible to see letters as they are and still have dyslexia ?

[@UnderstoodOrg]

Hello inverted halo, Thanks for your question. We have passed it on to an expert at Understood to see if they have additional information for you. But you should know that reversing letters isn't the only sign of Dyslexia. You can learn more in this article "7 Common Myths About Dyslexia" u.org/2OXtIFS We hope this helps. Best, The team at Understood

[@UnderstoodOrg]

Thanks for your patience here inverted halo. We’ve heard back from our expert, Trynia Kaufman and here’s what they had to share: Hi, Great question, and the easy answer is Yes! Many people think you have to see letters and words backwards or upside down in order to have dyslexia. But this is a myth. Like Dr. Gillis talks about in this video, a key sign of dyslexia is trouble matching letters with the sounds they make. For example, not knowing or remembering that f- and ph- make the same sound. Or not being able to break apart all the different sounds in the word "elephant." This leads to trouble with sounding out words or reading fluently. 
 Dyslexia can also lead to struggles with spelling, grammar, and reading comprehension. In fact, it might not even get noticed until later when reading becomes more complex. Dyslexia affects different people differently. And some kids (and adults) will struggle more than others do. You can learn more about dyslexia here: u.org/3hXDoMW And more about the signs of dyslexia here: u.org/2XpHCFl I hope this helps! Let us know if you have additional questions. Trynia

[@elsewherehouse]

@@UnderstoodOrg Thank you both for your time and replies. I appreciate your efforts and going through the effort of actually responding ! (There needs to be an emoji for thanks in sign language.)

[@shaikmahi8884]

Even I have dyslexia... I am now college student

[@shaikmahi8884]

Right now I was spelling the word (dyslexia) wrong... Omg went I was in my 3 or 4 grade..my english Teacher told me to read the paragraph.. I was not able to read it .. My teacher literally dragged me out of the class.. And Insulted me.. It was so painful..

[@muzammil_pathan20]

@@shaikmahi8884 same I was always ashamed of going anywhere

[@teresacunningham270]

They would talk sentences backwards

[@Iesha83]

Exactly

[@pecky3400]

So I’m illiterate and have dyslexia

[@gauravgoel9080]

English is very badly scripted language for reading... Cat and kat sounds could be same.. Where as cat and sat can also be same.. Because c can be sound as sss also... There is no problem with the kids I think.. It is just that the English language script is not complete and well written ..my daughter can easily read hindi because of the well designed script and sound but in English she gets confused with sounds very often that it is very frustrating to teach I often feel someone should redesigned the english language to make it a proper language.. Same words like potato can have multiple way of sounding.. Major issue with English is that the sound of the letter changes with the words and most often the letters are silent.. Like e in take, make, break, brake,.. Which is difficult to digest.. Sometimes e sounds as eeee, sometimes as aaaa, sometimes as ehh....

[@jess5166]

im the same i can't spelling

[@novellaforever7706]

jessica birnie I can’t spell either

[@mercybeaie5214]

@@novellaforever7706 I too can’t spell either and it’s sad😢

[@HyugACreationS]

TUBBO!!

[@cled2408]

Who is here because of Ozzy Osbourne?

[@Jojo-qw3on]

YMCA

[@markthompson8807]

Dyslexia is not a condition, it is not an issue it is a difference. Perhaps, if we measure people on their ability t osay do differencial calculus or run 100 metres, we would be able to spread this defining people with having a condition more widely. Those poor people can then be treated as defective in this way as I have all my life.

[@hannahstephenson7572]

orrin gillingham is outdated

[@excellinggrace930]

Then which one is the most current?

[@RicardoGarcia-nc3yg]

Why you attacking me